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It felt like it was just yesterday when I’d been planning to hand this hourglass back to our people. I’d hoped one day someone else would be gifted time magic. And that they’d be able to wield it. I hadn’t believed I could be queen. Hadn’t dared imagine I could become someone worthy of ruling.
Now, I knew better. All of us were only as strong and as capable as our belief in ourselves. I might not have chosen to rule, but I would choose it every day. For my people.
“Now that I have the hourglass, why couldn’t I just…get close enough to Regner to stop time and kill him?” I hadn’t dared attempt such a thing in the castle. Not with my power barely lasting a few seconds. I would have been instantly killed by his guards the moment I dropped the threads of time.
But I was stronger now.
Galon’s mouth trembled. “Delusions of grandeur, Prisca?”
I scowled at him. “It’s a legitimate question.”
“Regner is always warded. That was his original magic, long before he stole any of the amulets. Many of our people have attempted to kill him over the centuries. If it were that easy, Lorian would have slaughtered him the moment he saw him in that castle. But Regner’s ward has only grown stronger as he collected more and more power. It’s a good plan, but we would need to find a way to break his ward first. Then you could kill him.”
Behind me, Lorian tensed. Galon gave in to his grin as his gaze flicked to Lorian. “Or one of us could kill him, while you stayed far away from any danger.”
When I glanced at Lorian, he was giving Galon an approving look. I squinted at him. “When I asked why you didn’t kill Regner at the city gates, you told me it was because it wasn’t his time to die.”
Lorian nodded.
“But he was warded. You couldn’t have killed him anyway.”
“You didn’t trust me. If I’d told you that, you’d probably have attempted to escape me and gone after him yourself.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then snapped it closed. I was so, so angry at Lorian when I made that deal with him. If I’d thought there was a way to shift my helplessness and rage into action…
“I might know of someone,” Demos said, pulling me back to the present. “He used to use his power to eat away at the guards’ wards. I’ll ask around. See if he’s still alive.”
“You don’t know if he’s still alive?” Marth scratched at his cheek. His beard was growing out, and he looked more rugged than usual. Almost…disheveled.
Demos shrugged. “I haven’t seen him since before the rest of us hybrids were arrested and taken to Regner’s dungeon. He was one of the few who managed to escape the guards that night.” For the barest moment, his eyes filled with so much anguish, a lump formed in my throat.
“Speaking of escaping, how exactly did you three get out of the caves?” Madinia asked.
The lump in my throat grew even bigger. She didn’t even like Demos, but she’d changed the subject to distract him.
“Skill,” Lorian rumbled.
“Preparation.” Demos’s expression was hard.
“Luck,” Asinia said wryly.
I exchanged a knowing look with her, and Lorian pinched me lightly beneath my ribs.
They spent a few minutes slinging insults and telling bad jokes until the remaining tension had dissipated. Finally, Lorian held up a hand.
Everyone silenced. He glanced at Madinia. “Prisca said the human queen helped you. Explain.”
Madinia’s eyes flared at the order, but she told the others about the messages.
“We can’t trust her,” Marth said from his spot in the far corner of the room.
So far, I agreed with Marth. But just because we didn’t trust her, didn’t mean we couldn’t use her.
“She wants something,” Galon agreed. “But so do we. She gave us Prisca’s location for a reason.” His eyes met mine, his expression serious.“You said she wants us to free her son.”
“Yes. And we want to do that anyway. Once that happens, she will come after us. So, we’ll need to be prepared.”
Madinia nodded. “She wants to put him on the throne, but she can’t do that until Regner is dead. So she’s playing a long game. That means, until we separate Regner’s head from his body, she will cooperate with us. But the entire time, she will be moving us into position for when she’s ready to strike.”
